Which Comes First? Development Traffic Or Road Widening?

January 20, 1988|Staff Writers Laura Hubbard and Rebecca Theim contributed to this report.

Which comes first ... In this case it`s not the chicken or the egg, it`s the road or the development that Boynton Beach Planning and Zoning Board members were asking about.

In trying to decide whether to annex the 29 acres on Lawrence Road, which Intracoastal Development plans to transform from an orange grove to a 106-home planned unit development known as Citrus Glen II, board members learned that the development would have a traffic impact on already congested Hypoluxo Road and that it would not meet the county`s new traffic performance standards.

``There is an obligation on the part of government to live up to its obligations,`` Planning Director Carmen Annunziato told board members.

``The county is scheduled to widen Hypoluxo Road in August 1988, so it is within the range of this development. This applicant should not be penalized if the county does not live up to its obligations to have Hypoluxo under construction by August.``

``But aren`t they supposed to have the road in place before they`ve got the traffic?`` Board Chairman Marty Trauger asked.

``There is a clause in the traffic standards that does not penalize people indefinitely for our failure to act,`` Annunziato answered.

Trauger looked doubtful. ``You know how long it took them to get going on Boynton Beach Boulevard ...``

--Quote of the week ... Upon learning that Town of Palm Beach officers make more than West Palm Beach police officers and firefighters in every job category, Palm Beach Police Benevolent Association President and West Palm Beach patrolman Ernie George had this to say:

``Being an officer in Palm Beach is a totally different experience,`` George said. ``They`ve probably never been to a man with a gun call, but we have that every night of the week.

``It`s much more dangerous on this side of the lake.``

-- Thumper finds a home ... Not only did Boynton Beach Planning and Zoning Board Chairman Trauger question whether Intracoastal Development would meet the county`s traffic standards when Citrus Glenn II is built on Lawrence Road on land that is now in the city, he also wanted to know whether the homes would meet the human need for space standard.

Intracoastal Development will build 106 homes on 29 acres on the east side of Lawrence Road south of Miner Road. The density is 3.68 detached homes per acre and the lots will be 50 by 100 feet. The homes will cost from $90,000 to $130,000 each.

Though not part of the public hearing held by the Planning and Zoning Board last week, Trauger asked to see drawings of the proposed homes.

``I want to know if I`ve got houses or rabbit hutches,`` he said. ``I get the feeling we`re running the future people of Boynton Beach through the compactor.``

Actually, the plans presented last week represented a decrease in the originally proposed density of the development.

--Homework is a must ... A subcommittee of the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation accepted no excuses from Boca Raton officials who had not prepared for a meeting Boca Raton requested to further discuss operations at Boynton Beach`s Bethesda Memorial Hospital, its holding company and subsidiaries.

Bethesda representatives gave Boca Raton officials and members of the subcommittee a huge stack of documents on the Tuesday before the Friday delegation meeting. While all of those on the subcommittee -- Sen. Eleanor Weinstock, D-Palm Beach; Rep. Edward Healey, D-West Palm Beach; Rep. Frank Messersmith, R-Lake Worth; Rep. Carol Hanson, R-Boca Raton; and Rep. Steve Press, D-Delray Beach -- took time out of their busy schedules to read the information, Boca Raton Councilmember Al Travasos and City Attorney Frank Bartolone, did not. And it was Travasos`s questioning of the hospital`s operations that led to the meeting.

``We got the information on Tuesday and have not had a chance to go over every document presented at this time,`` Bartolone said. ``The point of the meeting is to see if the legislative delegation is satisfied. I have not done enough work to decide that for myself.``

Travasos said he received the material on Wednesday and ``would like to prepare a written response and send it to you,`` instead of responding in the meeting, he said.

``I had to give up a Broward delegation meeting to read this,`` Hanson said. ``It took me seven hours to wade through it. We`re all busy people and you have to decide what your priorities are. We hoped to put this matter to rest today.``

And, holding up her stack of information before the dais, Weinstock advised Travasos: ``This material is excellent. I recommend it very highly. You`ll enjoy it.``